"Why, it was paid to me by—" Then Jack stopped. He could not tell who gave him the money without revealing to Echo the return of Dick. The whole miserable lie would then come out. Echo noticed Jack's hesitancy.
"What is it—what's the matter?" she asked, in frightened tones.
"Nothing, nothing," he answered lightly, to lessen her terror.
"Hats off, everybody," commanded Slim, in deference to the presence of Echo.
"Who are these men—what's wrong?" pleaded Echo.
Buck bowed to the trembling woman, who had thrown her arms about her husband's neck.
"Nothin'," he exclaimed. "Only we want to know where your husband got the money to pay off the mortgage on this ranch."
The request seemed a very simple one to Echo. All the talk of harming Jack, the high words, the threats, could be silenced easily by her hero. Smiling into his eyes, Echo said: "Tell them, Jack."
"I can't," he faltered.
"It was paid to him by a friend," bravely began Echo. "A friend to whom he lent it some time ago."